iahphx

Think about that next time you're jetting somewhere for the weekend.

And certainly a more accurate statistic than that "1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger" ad I keep seeing on Flyertalk. Based on what I see in the real (aka non-Flyertalk) world, it's probably about right. Most Americans don't seem to travel much.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/many-t...175800188.html

Gamecock

I come from a huge family. Dozens of cousins. To them a big trip is a four hour drive to Panama City. I can't think of one of them who has ever set foot on a plane. My sister and I are the only ones who have a passport.

hedur

I think it depends on where in America you're talking about. I'm from Los Angeles and I don't know anyone (including my friend's young children) that hasn't been on a plane.

dd992emo

So what? Is there some kind of travel requirement? I understand the whole broadening experience, but if someone chooses not to participate, what business is that of ours?

planemechanic

It may not be "our business" but it is our concern as those who don't have "the whole broadening experience" tend to have a "small world" outlook, which can negatively impact all of us.

cbn42

It's just a matter of curiosity/interest for us. No one is proposing forcing people to travel.

Sometimes we are in a bubble where we think that everyone is a frequent traveler, so keeping some perspective is good.

iahphx

Yeah, no requirement "to see the world." It does seem like most folks DO like travel though. I'm sure there's a group of folks who simply can't afford it, but there's probably many, many more who just have higher priorities (or can't get time off).

t325

At a previous job I had a manager in her 50s who had never flown until she had to travel for a work conference. I get that not everyone can afford or even has the desire to jet off to all corners of the globe, but I was surprised that someone at that age had never set foot on a plane for any other purpose like job related, or visiting family, or whatever.

gglave

I think it largely comes down to cost and lack of vacation time. If you have a family of four, heading to England or Argentina or wherever is a very expensive undertaking. Add to that the fact that many Americans get little vacation time and you have a recipe for little travel.

KoKoBuddy

Part 178 in a 300 part series on why America is worse than every other country on earth.

OP: Did you actually read the article?

Nearly four in 10 (38%) did not purchase a single leisure vacation within the past year.. That's not the same as your title of 38% do not travel at all. If I took 3 trips every year from 2000 to 2010, skipped out on any travel in 2011, in your view of the world I've never stepped foot on a plane. And did you notice the key word? LEISURE. I'm sure many FTers who flew 100K miles last year for business probably didn't fly anywhere for leisure. I know I could have been in such a situation over the years when I was a road warrior. The last thing I wanted to do on my vacations was fly somewhere. A 2 hour drive to the beach was just fine.

And did you not understand the point of the article? It says due to the economy, fewer people can AFFORD to travel.

choster

The title of the piece is Many Would-Be Travelers Stuck at Home, and it's a press release, not a news article.

Very misleading thread title.

hedur

Thank you KoKoBuddy and choster. I was just about to post the same thing. I made the mistake of commenting last night without actually reading the article.

bfxfd

I concur. I think everyone would like to travel for leisure but have you looked at airfares to some leisure area like Disney World during school vacations? Unless you have thousands of dollars to spend and a week of time where no one else wants to travel you may be priced out of the market. Would you rather take one big vacation or a couple smaller get aways that are inexpensive ?
I think the over 60% of people buying travel for leisure in this economy is actually optimistic.

clacko

re "purchase", if a family drives to vacation w/family & doesn't stay at a motel. does buying gas count as a purchase....

much ado about nada....

sd1024

I have known many families of people that actively avoid travel outside of their little 10 mile comfort zones. The reasons vary greatly from can't afford it, scared to venture out, or prematurely disliking other destinations due to preconceived notions. Nothing I say seems to make a difference.